Having gone through more than a year of online learning, I’m sure all of us are tired of staring intently into our computer screens in our dingy little rooms, and all crave for a new atmosphere or environment to work in. However, with everyone flocking back into campus as it reopens, it can be difficult to find study spaces in the library too during the day. I find that my mood is significantly dependant on the atmosphere around me, and have thus been going around searching for study spaces around the vicinity. I thought that this could be useful for some of you reading this as well, especially for days when you just crave for a short adventure/trip.
Café Hopping
I never understood why café hopping remains a trend all these while until I had a go at it myself. The warm smell of roast coffee paired up with the low steady conversations around can really create a perfect ambience for getting some work done. The best thing about café hopping is that every café you head to and every seat you take can often give very different vibes, leaving you a huge range of options for different days. Now this might sound like an expensive option, but Pret A Manger is now offering £20 subscriptions a month, allowing you to get up to 5 coffees a day! I have had the best adventures exploring different Pret A Mangers in London, and I’m sure you will too!
British Library
Located on Euston Road, the British Library consists of 4 floors of reading rooms, allowing a capacity of 1200 (no more fighting for those study spaces!). The library also offers free wifi and a collection of more than 150 millions items. If you’re someone who gets motivated by seeing people working around you as well, the British Library is the perfect spot for you! Memberships for the British Library costs £80 a year and is available for individuals above 18 years old. This also allows you to get up to 4 free event tickets a year and gives you a whooping 20% discount when you purchase anything in their shops or cafés. You can also opt for a joint membership with your friend, allowing your membership fee to be reduced to £60 a year instead.
Victoria & Albert Museum
Located right beside Imperial College London, the V&A museum also has a National Art Library which can be accessed freely by anyone! The library overlooks the John Madejski Garden at the V&A museum, striking a perfect balance with the library’s classic aesthetics. The library is currently closed until December, but bookings can be made easily from their website. However, if you are a fan of the cold breeze in London, you can always lounge around the John Madejski Garden below while watching the birds chirp around the area too.
Bring The Ambience To Your Room!
During lockdown, I discovered several websites which helped change the aesthetics of my room tremendously. Besides restructuring and redecorating your room to give it a more cosy setting, you can also bring different settings to your room through your computer screen too. Using Drive & Listen, you can drive down the streets of various cities virtually, while listening to their respective local radio stations, allowing you to embrace the culture and environment of a new city while being in your own rooms. Besides that, you can also use I Miss My Café to simulate different sounds heard in the café (while controlling the volume too!), while enjoying a range of different indie songs played in your local coffee shops!
That’s all from me! I hope that this blog post helps you find a new environment to finally get your coursework started. 🙂
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